Holiday actions for biodiversity

It’s three days before Christmas and exactly nine days before the end of 2013.

Before that, let’s ask ourselves, have we done our part in protecting nature and conserving biodiversity? Have we cooperated in its protection, or somehow, contributed in its destruction even in little ways?

Admit it or not, we do things that affect our nature and biodiversity. With all the frenzy going on, it’s easy to forget the real essence of Christmas—which is giving back.

Instead of going through the Christmas rush, we have come up with a biodiversity dash that can be the best gift for the environment this holiday season.

The conservation of biodiversity is essential for the maintenance of vital ecosystem services, and ultimately for human survival. Every individual must begin to take the real value of biodiversity into account in his or her choices, and decisions, otherwise, the diversity of life on Earth will continue to decline.

Thus, we have come up with ways on how we can act for biodiversity in the simplest and achievable ways, which would help in the protection of nature and conservation of biodiversity. Our biodiversity list can help the environment even in little ways:

Support a Rainforestation project
Haribon Foundation has the ROAD to 2020 campaign, which is an environmental conservation movement to restore one million hectares of our rainforests using native tree species by year 2020. It aims to plant native tree species in order to recover and conserve biodiversity and optimize our supply of forest benefits and ecosystem services.

Encourage your companies to take action for biodiversity
Companies are now planning where to hold their big Christmas parties and year-end celebrations. Instead of shelling out for gifts or expensive hotels, engage the whole company to a worthwhile activity such as conservation programs, set up a foundation dedicated to safeguarding biodiversity, or involving employees, and sending them to field so they’ll experience, and be one with the environment.
Saving and protecting what’s left of our environment is the best gift that we can give to our future generations, not just this Christmas.

Support Nature Protection Associations like Haribon Foundation
The objective of these organizations and associations is to conserve biodiversity by monitoring species, restoring hectares of forests that are starting to deplete, setting up and managing natural reserves, raising awareness activities on biodiversity, which participants can carry out in their everyday lives.

By becoming a member, you can support these associations and organizations in their projects, and encourage others as well to be active members of the foundation. You can give a donation, buy their publications, and merchandise such as shirts, and pens, also their partner establishments where proceeds will go to the association, and be a volunteer in their nature conservation projects.

Give gifts with Biodiversity in mind
Tired of looking for something unique to give to your family, friends and relatives? Why not give them things that speak of biodiversity? Or, you may adopt a seedling through Haribon Foundation’s “Give a Gift Tree” worth P200. This package includes one seedling to be planted by our partner communities in identified restoration sites with a three-year maintenance, and an Animalaya certificate (stating that a gift tree is given on the recipient’s behalf).

Be an eco-volunteer
Just as the saying goes every holiday season, “It’s better to give, than to receive.” This holiday season, it’s time to give back to mother earth what we owe her. Our nature has already given us so much, but we have abused the gifts we receive from her.
This season, it’s time to pay back to mother nature. You and your friends who availed the “Give a Gift Tree” of Haribon Foundation may join the rest of the volunteers in their tree planting activities with the seedlings adopted. You don’t have to be a forester, or be an expert in environmental planning; anyone can take part in this activity.

‘From government policy to personal choices, we must recognize the value of biodiversity’, BirdLife International

52 Actions for Biodiversity. The original version of this document was published in 2009 under the title “366 gestes pour la biodiversite” and “366 tips voor de biodiversiteit”. Copyright 2009 Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.